#duiker

[lizardsaredinosaurs]

You think I'm just a mini-me zebra? Okay, that's creepy, you're weird, I'm gonna go hide in the forest now.

Zebra Duiker (Cephalophus zebra)

Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Guinea

Status: Vulnerable

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We made it to Z! D... did anyone notice? 🥺 Anyway, (un)surprisingly I didn't find a lack of species for any letter, including X. (Not when you have the xeric tree frog, the xenops, the xerus, the xucaneb robber frog, the xinjiang ground-jay...)

Duikers are awesome little things. This one's expression seemed a little... wary.

With that, I'm going to take a break for a few days, possibly to the end of the month. I need to be recovering my health and making sure some stupid bills get paid.

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Stickers: The second set of stickers is available to purchase still--I definitely will have extras, so feel free to grab these from the shop. (If you ordered some, they'll be going out soon.)

Membership: Want to support animal geekness for $5 a month?

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

[dougdimmadodo]

Red Forest Duiker (Cephalophus natalensis)

Family: Cattle Family (Bovidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A tiny species of forest-dwelling antelope (growing to only around 43cm/16.9 inches tall at the shoulder,) the Red Forest Duiker is native to south-eastern Africa where it mainly inhabits dense high-altitude or coastal forests with reliable year-round access to freshwater. While many grassland-dwelling antelopes live in large herds to provide "safety in numbers" in the absence of sheltered areas in which to hide from predators, this species' densely-vegetated habitat renders defensive group-living unnecessary (with the small bodies and plain brown colouration of adult Red Forest Duikers allowing them to easily blend in with their surroundings,) and as such they typically live alone outside of breeding or raising calves (although small groups of up to 3 individuals, often close relatives, are occasionally seen foraging together.) Both males and females of this species are highly territorial, using strong-smelling secretions produced by glands beneath their eyes to mark out territories, typically choosing areas with good access to water, food (which consists mainly of fruits, flowers and soft leaves, as compared to other antelopes they have only a rudimentary ability to digest tough, fibrous plant matter) and vegetation to hide within; when faced with potential predators (such as Leopards, Crowned Eagles and Southern African Rock Pythons,) Red Forest Duikers will initially freeze in place in hopes that they have not been seen, and if the predator then begins to approach they will rush towards the undergrowth in a series of short bounding leaps. Female Red Forest Duikers may breed at any time of year, giving birth to a single calf at a time after a gestation period of around 8 months. The calf is protected and fed by its mother for around 6-8 months before reaching maturity, and while its father will not aid in its raising it may remain in contact with it and its mother through a series of snorts, whistles and shrieks - in response to their young calf's distress call, both parents have been known to rush in to defend their young.

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Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1431002-Cephalophorus-natalensis

[chloristoflora]

Picker could not pull her eyes from the man. He sat hunched over, on a chair that had yet to find a table, still clutching in his hands the small rag of tattered cloth on which something had been written. The alchemist had done all he could to return life to what had been a mostly destroyed, desiccated body, and Baruk's talents had been stretched to their limits - there was no doubt of that.

She knew of him, of course. They all did. They all knew, as well, where he had come from.

He spoke not a word. Had not since the resurrection. No physical flaw kept him from finding his voice, Baruk had insisted.

The Imperial Historian had fallen silent. No-one knew why.

(...)

"Sure," Spindle snapped, "a story to break our hearts all over again! What's the value in that?"

A rough, broken voice replied, "There is value."

Everyone fell silent, turned to Duiker.

The Imperial Historian had looked up, was studying them with dark eyes. "Value. Yes. I think, much value. But not yours, soldiers. Not yet. Too soon for you. Too soon."

"Perhaps," Baruk murmured, "perhaps you are right in that. We ask too much-"

"Of them. Yes." The old man looked down once more at the cloth in his hands.

The silence stretched.

Duiker made no move.

Picker began to turn back to her companions - when the man began speaking. "Very well, permit me, if you will, on this night. To break your hearts once more. This is the story of the Chain of Dogs. Of Coltaine of the Crow Clan, newly come Fist to the 7th Army..."

Memories of Ice, by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen #3)

[eminjbrylv]

Bir ildən sonra yenə bu kitabı əlimə aldım. Məlum bölümü oxumaq üçün. İlk oxuduğum zaman metroda necə ağlamışdımsa yenə eyni hissləri təkrar yaşadım.

[markhors-menagerie]

Yellow-backed duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor)

The most widespread species of duiker, these can be found in forests across tropical Africa. They eat mostly fruits, but also leaves, roots, and occasionally small animals. The word duiker comes from the Dutch and Afrikaans word for ‘diver’, which refers to these antelopes’ habit of diving into the underbrush when threatened.

[morgansram]

Taxidermy Yellowbuck Diuker

[adiodont]

zoo animal scribbles

[lost-lycaon]

Grey duiker, making a run for it

[twafordizzy]

Schröder en de dreigende wereld onderwater

bron beeld: wouterleduc.com Ik heb de Groningse schrijver Allard Schröder (1946) hoog zitten. Het is een veelkunner als het om schrijven gaat en als het is om me als lezer bij de lurven te pakken. Hij wisselt zijn verhalen met gemak in de tijd. De personages zijn mysterieus en proberen in de bundel Het pak van Kleindienst hun lot te ontlopen. Zijn verhalen in deze bundel zijn dreigend. Maar…

[snototter]

A Common Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) in Nyika National Park, Malawi, Africa

by Kinta Beaver

[violetsandshrikes]

Some more Yellow-backed Duiker, this time ft some yummy cantaloupe! (I believe this one is called Josie!)

[pablo-diablo]

Nugget, the red-flanked duiker at the San Diego Zoo (via their Instagram).

[chloristoflora]

"And the feather you wear... to honour Coltaine?"

"To honour Coltaine, yes. But that is because I must. Coltaine did what he was expected to do. He did nothing that was beyond his abilities. I honour him, yes, but Duiker... Duiker was different." He scowled and shook his head. "He was old, older than you. Yet he fought. When fighting was not even expected of him - I know this to be true, for I knew Coltaine and Bult and I heard them speak of it, of the historian. I was there when Coltaine drew the others together, all but Duiker. Lull, Bult, Chenned, Mincer. And all spoke true and with certainty. Duiker would lead the refugees. Coltaine even gave him the stone the traders brought-"

"The stone? What stone?"

"To wear about his neck, a saving stone, Nil called it. A soul trapper, delivered from afar. Duiker wore it, though he liked it not, for it was meant for Coltaine, so that he would not be lost. Of course, we Wickans knew he would not be lost. We knew the crows would come for his soul. The elders who have come, who hound me so, they speak of a child born to the tribe, a child once empty, then filled, for the crows came. They came."

"Coltaine has been reborn?"

"He has been reborn."

"And Duiker's body disappeared," Strings muttered. "From the tree."

"Yes! And so I keep his horse for him, for when he returns. I rode with him, Fiddler!"

House of Chains, by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen #4)

[janacantdraw]

Commission for Discord user